In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which was been denominated varietally as "Spring Bright". The present variety was hybridized by us in 1983, and the resulting seedling was planted in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). Specifically, the hybridized seedling was originated by using May Diamond (U.S. Pat. No. 5,454) as the selected seed parent and an unnamed seedling as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The present variety ripens at nearly the same time period as Spring Red (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,619), but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is darker in skin color, very much firmer in texture, much sweeter in flavor, and clingstone in type instead of freestone.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, May Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,454), in fruit appearance by being a fully red colored nectarine with excellent firmness, but is distinguished therefrom by ripening sixteen days later, by being a clingstone instead of a freestone, by having a sweeter flavor. The tree is further distinguished from the May Diamond by producing a large instead of small blossom and by having globose instead of reniform glands.